1. Module: Hearing and ear health in children
  2. Lesson 4: Hearing and ear health screen
  3. Topic 2 of 4

Hearing screen

Topic Progress:

Instruction

In this topic you will learn how to carry out a hearing screen using audiometry.

Hearing screen

An audiometer checks if a child can hear a sound at three different frequencies:

  • 1000 Hz
  • 2000 Hz
  • 4000 Hz.

The loudness of the sound is set at 20 decibels (dB) to see how well the child can hear each frequency.

Audiometer machine

Audiometer app on smartphone

Explain the hearing screen

Explain to the child that you will be making sounds or ‘beeps’ with the machine/phone, which will come through the headphones.

Instruct the child to:

  • Listen for the sound (beep)
  • Raise their right or left hand to show which side they hear the sound. They should raise their hand each time they hear a sound (beep).

The screener and child are sitting and leaning towards each other across a table. The screener places headphones over the child’s ears.

Position headphones

  • Clean the headphones before using
  • Check the child is happy for you to place the headphones on their ears
  • Make sure the headphones are comfortable and cover their whole ear on both sides.

Practice hearing screen

Practice the screen to make sure the child understands. Practice with each ear.

  1. Set the sound frequency at 1000 Hz, and the loudness at 40 dB
  2. Give a sound (beep) into the child’s right ear
  3. Check the child raises their right hand. If the child does not respond, repeat up to three times.

If the child responds, select Yes Continue to their left ear.

If the child does not respond after three attempts, select No Continue to ear health screen.

Instruction

If Yes to both right and left ears select Pass.

If No to any Refer. Stop the hearing screen and Continue to ear health screen.

A child wearing headphones sits with one hand raised. The right headphone is coloured red and the left is coloured blue. The screener stands behind the child holding a smartphone connected by a cable to the headphones.

Tip

If the child cannot raise their hand, they can signal in a different way.

Instruction

If the child is unable to understand/carry out the instructions or accept wearing the headphones, do not continue with the hearing screen.

Select Refer Continue to the ear health screen.

Question

Sakura, a young girl.

Meet Sakura

Sakura is 11 years old and lives with her parents. She has cerebral palsy. Sakura participated in her school sensory screening programme.

When she did the hearing screen practice (1000 Hz at 40 dB) the screener recorded:

Hearing screen practice section of form with yes selected for right ear and no selected for left ear.

What overall result would you record for the practice screen?


Click to see answer

Refer is correct!

Sakura did not have Yes for both ears. You would Refer Sakura to ear care personnel when you have completed the ear health screen.

An audiometer app on smartphone with headphones attached. One headphone is red for the right ear, and one is blue for the left ear.

Audiometer app on smartphone

Full hearing screen

If the child passes the practice hearing screen continue to complete a full screen of both ears.

Start with the right ear. Screen the right ear at all three frequencies before screening the left ear.

1. 1000 Hz at 20 dB

  • Keep the frequency level at 1000 Hz and turn down the loudness to 20 dB
  • Give this sound in the child’s right ear three times
  • Record the result for each sound

✓ Tick if the child hears 20 dB sound
✗ Cross if the child does not hear 20 dB sound.

2. 2000 Hz at 20 dB

  • Increase the frequency level to 2000 Hz and keep the loudness at 20 dB
  • Give this sound in the child’s right ear three times
  • Record the result for each sound.

3. 4000 Hz at 20 dB

  • Increase the frequency level to 4000 Hz and keep the loudness at 20 dB
  • Give this sound in the child’s right ear three times
  • Record the result for each sound.

Repeat for the left ear.

Instruction

If there are two or more ticks for each frequency for both ears, select Pass.

If there are less than two ticks for any frequency for either ear, select  Refer.

Question

Meet Do Yoon

Look at the results of Do Yoon’s hearing screen:

Hearing screen section of form. Right ear two ticks recorded at 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz. Left ear two ticks recorded at 1,000 Hz and 2,000 Hz. No ticks recorded at 4,000 Hz.

What action would you do next?

Click to see answer

Incorrect.

Do Yoon has less than two ticks at 4000 Hz for his left ear. He must have two or more ticks for each frequency for both ears to Pass.

Click to see answer

Incorrect.

It is important to record the overall result of Do Yoon’s hearing screen before continuing to the ear health check.

Click to see answer

Correct!

Do Yoon does not have two or more ticks for each frequency for both ears. You would select Refer and continue to complete the ear health check.

Instruction

Watch the video of a hearing screen.

Question

Where was the screener positioned in the video when carrying out the full hearing screen?

Select one.



Click to see answer

If you selected c, you are correct!

The screener stood behind the child in the video. It is important that the child cannot see your hand when doing the full screen. You can position yourself behind or at the side of the child.

Activity

In groups practice a full hearing screen.

You will need:

  • Audiometer
  • Noise cancelling headphones
  • Screen form and pen.

Practice:

  1. Set up
  2. Explain
  3. Position headphones
  4. Practice screen and record results
  5. Full screen and record results.
  1. Module: Hearing and ear health in children
  2. Lesson 4: Hearing and ear health screen
  3. Topic 2 of 4